noun / verb

scrimshaw

SKRIM-shaw/skrˈɪmʃˌɔ/

Decorative carving or engraving on bone, ivory, or similar material.

The museum displays scrimshaw engraved with ships and ocean scenes.

A close-up of an antique whale tooth bearing a dark, finely incised sailing-ship scene, with its curved ivory-colored form and engraved grooves clearly visible.

Etymology

Scrimshaw was a sailor’s term for fancifully carved shell or ivory. It was formed from earlier nautical words such as scrimshander, whose origin is obscure.

In context

Stockman Original3:11

this type of scrimshaw and a lot of times they take a clipping from a newspaper or magazine paste it on the tooth and then it punched through to get the image down

The Only Scrimshaw Tool You Actually Need

More examples

She practices scrimshaw on small pieces of bone.
The artist scrimshaws a design onto a bone handle.
Dark ink makes the fine lines of the scrimshaw stand out.

Forms

scrimshaw · scrimshaws · scrimshawed · scrimshawing

Similar words

engraving: Covers designs cut into metal, glass, and other materials too.
carving: Includes three-dimensional shapes, not just decorative lines on surfaces.